Piano action



F. C. SOCIN PIANO ACTION July 7,1942.

Filed Ooi. 13, 1941 INVENTOR. fk5/ms (Y 50c/Af. BY amy M 7g; /r a/f/vfmPatented July 7, 1942 UNITED PIANO ACTION Francis C. Socin, St. Charles,Ill., assignor to The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, Chicago, lll., a

corporation Application October 13, 1941, Serial No. 414,749

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a piano action, particularly of the dropaction type applicable to the small or spinet type of upright pianos,reference thereto being had to my Letters Patent No. 2,239,204, issuedApril 22, 1941, for Upright piano.

The feature of the invention resides in the capstan screw and itsassociation with the member operating to transmit motion between thepiano key and the wippen, By means of the construction and relation ofthe capstan screw and motion transmitting member, the operativeconnection between the key and said member is substantially simplified,both from the standpoint of production, assembly and disassembly. Thus,each key is individually removed for adjustment or servicing withoutrequiring removal of the action, and, on the other hand, the actionitself may be conveniently removed without disturbing the associated keyor member.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from theaccompanying drawing and the following description and claims:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view through a piano action showing a unit thereofwith its associated actuating piano key. Fig. 2 is an enlarged View ofthe capstan screw with a portion of the associated parts. Fig. 3 is aplan View of the structure shown in Fig. 2.

In the drawing there is shown a unit of a piano action includinganaction rail II), frame structure II, lower supporting rail I2 andupper rail I3, all associated and arranged in the usual manner with thepiano strings I4.

The action is of the usual character embodying the hammer I5, withdamper I 6 and back check I'I supported upon a wippen I8. The wippen isfulcrumed at I9 on the rail I0 by the usual flange, and has pivotallymounted thereon the usual jack for driving the hammer action 2 I.

Associated with such piano action there is provided the usual piano key22 which is fulcrumed about the hinge pins 23 intermediate its ends uponthe keyboard 24 mounted on the key bed 25.

The actuating end of said key is provided with the usual adjustablecapstan screw 26 having a bearing head 2I formed on the upper endthereof. Extending upwardly from the bearing head there is provided arigid retainer pin 28 which may be separately formed and inserted intosaid capstan screw, or, formed integral therewith. Said pin extends inalignment with the axis of the screw terminating in a free end at adistance thereabove.

Motion is transmitted between the action end of the key 22 and thewippen I8 through the medium of a rigid drop lever 29 which extendsdownwardly from the level of the key to the lower level of the wippen.The lower end of the drop lever is fashioned with a foot 30 extendingforwardly thereof under and in alignment with the wippen for operativeengagement with the underside thereof. The lower and forward end of thefoot is pivotally connected through the link 3| with a flange secured tothe lower supporting rail I2. The upper end of the drop lever isprovided with a reversely directed finger 32 extending over the actionend of the piano key 22. Said finger is provided with a bearing felt 33arranged for bearing engagement upon the head 21 of the capstan screw.Said finger is also provided with an upwardly flared opening 34 forreception of the retaining pin 28.

By means of this construction, the key action is positively transmittedto the `wippen and the piano action through elevation of the drop leverby the capstan screw, resulting in corresponding elevation of thewippen. To that extent, the capstan screw with its bearing head 2'I,performs its usual function. The retaining pin 28 extending rigidlyupwardly from the bearing head of the capstan screw and in axialalignment therewith, serves to retain the drop lever in operativeengagement with the piano key through the medium of said screw and thefinger 32, while permitting angular movement therebetween. At the sametime the character of the pin extending through the upwardly flaredopening in the finger 32 permits the latter to be readily lifted overand off of the retaining pin when it is desiredto remove the key.

From the foregoing description of this embodiment of the invention, themode of operation, and advantages thereof will be readily understood,and while this invention is particularly designed and adapted for use inconnection with small spinet types of upright pianos, it may be employedfor transmitting actions in all types of pianos or similar instruments.

The invention claimed is:

1. In an upright piano, a hammer action mounted in front of the stringswith a wippen disposed below the level of the keyboard and a keyfulcrumed on said keyboard, a rigid drop 1ever extending downwardly fromsaid key with its lower end in operative engagement with said wippen,said drop lever being provided at its upper end with a portion extendingrearwardly over and in spaced relation to the action end of disposedbelow the level of the keyboard and a key fulcrumed on said keyboard, arigid drop lever extending downwardly from said key with its lower endin operative engagement with said wippen, said drop lever being providedat its upper end with a portion extending rearwardly over and in spacedrelation to the action end of the key, a capstan screw adjustablymounted on the action end of said key extending therefrom for engagementwith said rearwardly extending portion, a retaining pin on said capstanscrew extending upwardly therefrom into said rearwardlyextending portionfor permitting motion to be transmitted thereto by saidl capstan screwwhile retaining the same in bearing relation thereon, and a guiding linkhaving one end thereof pivotally anchored on said hammer action and thefree end thereof pivotally connected with the lower end of said droplever for maintaining it in operative alignment with said key andwippen.

3. In an upright piano, a hammer action mounted in front of the stringswith a wippen disposed below the level of the keyboard and a keyfulcrumed on said keyboard, a rigid drop lever extending downwardly fromsaid key with its lower end in operative engagement with said wippen,said drop lever being provided at its upper end with a portion extendingrearwardly over and in spaced relation to the action end of said keyformed with an upwardly flaring opening therein, a capstan screwadjustably mounted on said key provided with a bearing head engageablewith said rearwardly extending portion concentrically with the openingtherein, a retaining pin on said screw extending upwardly from the headthereof through the opening in said rearwardly extending portion forremovably retaining th-e same in operative engagement with said bearinghead, and a guiding link having one end thereof pivotally anchored onsaid hammer action and the free end thereof pivotally connected with thelower end of said drop lever for maintaining it in operative alignmentwith said key and wippen.

FRANCIS C. SOCIN.

